ANSI

ANSI Standards for Safety Gear

ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) doesn’t write a single safety standard — it accredits the consensus process behind dozens of them, each covering a specific category of equipment. On this site, three ANSI standards come up most often, depending on which part of the body is being protected:

• ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 covers eye and face protection. It defines how safety glasses, goggles, and face shields are tested for impact resistance, and it’s the source of the “Z87” and “Z87+” markings stamped on lenses and frames — Z87 for basic impact, Z87+ for high-velocity impact from grinding, chipping, or fastener-driving work.
• ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 covers head protection. It’s the standard behind hard hat Type (top-impact vs. top-and-side impact) and Class (electrical insulation) ratings.
• ANSI/ASSP Z359 covers fall protection. It’s actually a family of standards spanning full-body harnesses, energy-absorbing lanyards, self-retracting lifelines, and anchorage connectors, each governed by its own sub-standard within the Z359 series.

Every article in this hub that recommends eye protection, head protection, or fall protection gear ties its claims back to the relevant ANSI standard rather than a manufacturer’s marketing copy.